Vehicle-signal



P. MYERS.

VEHICLE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. l5, 19.19.

Patented J an.' l4, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

P. MYERS.

VEHICLE SIGNAL. nvucmou' FILED nov. imma.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

2-SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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anne/01 Prwozz @any -aumww UNITED sTATESrATENr oFlllcii'.-',V

PRESTON MYERS, 0E DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

Application ineaY November 15, 1919. serial No', 338,369; n.

To all whom-#may concern.'

Be it known that I, PRESTON MYERS, a citizen of the United States of America, residin at Detroit, inthe Vcounty of Wayne and tain new and useful Improvements 'in Vehicle-Signals, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to vehicle signals and has for one of its objects the provision of signals at both the front and rear of avehicle whichl are adapted to be actuated by vacuum. Another object is the provision of a controlling means which is so arranged. that upon actuation of the front signal the rear signal will also be actuated to display a designation. A further purpose is to provide a construction in which the means for actuating the indicator has limited movement so that the designations upon the indicator will always be correctly shown when the indicator is actuated. Other objects reside in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts as more fully hereinafter set forth.

i In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the construction embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, with part of the casing broken away, of a signal; j

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof, with part of the casing broken away;

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an end view, with the end of the casing removed. A

1 and 2 are, respectively, the rear and front signals upon a vehiclel Such as an automobile, which are respectively connected by the airs of tubes Brand 4 to a valve-controlle vacuum chamber 5, which is in communication with the intake manifold 6 of an internal combustion engine through the tube 7 The rear signal l has the two designations Turn and Stop, and the front signal 2 has the two designations Right and Left Thel tubes 3 and 4 are each controlled by the valves 8, which have the stems 9 extending'through the vacuum chamber 5 and adapted to be actuated by means of the buttons 10.

Since both the front and rear'si nals are constructed alike but one signal the rear signal) will be described. 11 is a cylindri-Q calcasing having a suitable elongated apertate of Michigan, havey invented cer 'VEHICLE-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent@ n Patetd JaIL y4: 1921 ture 12`through which the designations may be seen. secured upon the casing 11.

13 j are @suitable ends, removably 14 isa sup-1 vportpreferably formed of a sheet metal stamp'in'gthi's siipportbeing secured at itsyopposite ends tothe casingv 11, and rhaving struck i'itears or projections 15,16 and 17. i

18 is a rotatable indicator within the casing 11 and non-rotatably secured upon the Shaft 19, which is rotatably mounted intheears orprojections 15, this shaft being substan- 1 f tially axially arrangedewithin the casing.

20at is a pinion non-rotatably mountedk on the Shaft 19 near one end thereof. The ro.-

tatable indicator 18 is normally held inpo-r sltion, such that its pair of designationscan f notibelseenthrough the aperture 12 in the casingy 1l, thisfposition being called the neutral position. I. fvVhen the indicatoris rotated in either direction Vfrom neutral, one

of .the'designationswill be shown through 1" the opening, j j U y j For actuating the indicator 18thefollow-` lng constructionfis provided: `2O and 21 Aare collapsibley adjacent bellows separatedby a -partition,22,- which 'is suitably krsecured to outer walls forthe .bellows 20 and 21." 25 is a pinion rack having the teeth 26 in mesh the support 14.y 23:and 24 are, respectively, I 'i withtheteeth 27 ofthe .pinion 20a and 'k having the .laterally bent ends 28 securedy to the walls/23 and424 of the bellows,the arrangement beinOf such'that when one wall moves toward the intermediatey wall 22 the othery wall moves away therefrom. For retaining the pinion rack 25 `and also the inydlcator 18 in neutral position the pinionk rack has the centrally located depending lug 29 vwhich is engaged upon opposite Sides by,

the coil springs 30, the opposite ends kof which abut against the' struck out ears ork projections 16 of the support 14. ,V 31 is "a y rod for Supporting the coil springs 30.

A tube 3 connects into each of the belv lows 20 and 21.

yioo

As thus far described, in operation, ypressing upon either of the buttons 10 'for actuating the valves 8 controlling the tubes 3, a tube 3 will'be placed in communication with the intake manifold 6 of the engine,

thereby placing the bellows in communication with that tube under vacuum, so that the same will collapse, and 'in collapsing will move the pinion rack 25 and the other bellows with it. This pinion rack rotates the pinion20a, which in turn rotates the indicator 18 through the shaft 19. The designations upon the indicator are located to either side of the'portion of the indicator normally seen through the aperture p 12 in the casing, such that they will be cor` rectly Shown through the opening in the casing when the indicator is actuated by the bellows, since the movement of the bellows is limited due to the intermediate partition 22.

For the purpose of actuating therear indicator to disclose that the driver is about to turn, simultaneously when the front is actuated, the buttons 10 for lactuating the valves 8controlling the tubes 4 leading to the front indicator overlap the buttons 10 controlling the actuation of .the rear in dicator to designate 'Iurn, so that upon operation of either button to actuate the front indicator to designate Right7 or Left the designation Turn upon the rear indicator will be simultaneously'disclosed.

For the purpose of actuating the rear signal to disclose that the driver is about to stop, one of the buttons 10 for actuating the valves 8 controlling the tubes' 3 leading to the rear indicator is actuated, the signal Stop will appear, and having no connection with the front indicator the Stop signal only will appear, leaving the front indicator neutral.

Y For driving at night the indicators will be illuminated by the electric lights 32 mounted upon the projections or ears 17 of the support 14, these lights using energy from the storage battery.

IVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a vehicle signal, the combination with an indicator, of a pair of bellows mechanically connected to said indicator for actuating the same in opposite directions, and means for connectingsaid bellows. to a source of vacuum.

2. In a vehicle signal, the combination with a rotatable indicator, of a pair of bellows for rotating said indicator in opposite directions, tubes connecting into Said belshaft and a pinion rotatably secured upon said shaft, of a pair of adjacent bellows, a rack intermeshing with said pinion and secured to the opposite sides of said bellows, means for yieldably maintaining said rack in central or neutral position, and means for connecting said bellows with a source of vacuum.

5. In a vehicle signal, the combination with a casing provided with an aperture, of a rotatable indicator pivotally mounted in said casing and provided with a shaft, a pinion mounted upon said shaft, a pair of bellows adapted to be connected to a source of vacuum, and a rack intermeshing with said pinion and connected to said bellows.

6. In a vehicle signal, the combination with a casing and a support in said casing, of a rotatable indicator pivotally mounted upon said support, a pinion for rotating said indicator, a pair of bellows adapted to be connected to a source of vacuum, a rack intermeshing with said pinion and connected to said bellows, and means for yieldably retaining said rack in central or neutral position.

7. In a vehicle signal, the combination with a casing provided with an aperture, of a rotatable indicator within said casing, and a pair of bellows within said casing and mechanically connected to said indicator, to actuate the same in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

PRESTON MYERS. 

